Don Pavelka Bike Check

Don's been a long time supporter of TYRANT and the dude has gotten pretty damn good over the years. Here's a low down on what Don runs...

Frame: Fit Series 3.5 Aitken 20.5" Tt
Fork: Odyssey Dirt Fork

Head Set: Fsa Compact

Stem: Fit Down Low Drop
Bars: S&M Slam Bars
Grips: ODI Longnecks
Seat Clamp: Integrated
Post: Fit Pivitol
Seat: Fit Pivitol
Cranks: Profile 170mm
BB: Profile
Sprocket: Shadow Lite 25t
Chain: Shadow Half Link

Brakes: Fly Brakes, Odyssey 1x4 pads

Lever: Odyssey Mono Lever, M2 Cables
Pedals: Fit PC
Hubs: Odyssey Hazard
Rims: Proper 48h Rear, 36h Front
Tires: Fly Ruben Front, Fit FAF Rear
Pegs: Shadow Little Ones














Don wanted to send a thanks to Vic at Circuit BMX for always getting him what he needs and Nate Steere for the photo!

Thumbs Up: One Year Later

It's been a year since I blew my thumb apart and had surgery and everything is functioning pretty good. I still get a little sore if I ride for 2 or more days consecutively, but hell....most people would. Thankful I got 97% of my motion back and strength back. Thumbs up to my buddy Libby and Dr. Joyce for putting me back together again.

Sunday Late Day Lot Session: 9/26

Yesterday afternoon a handful of people got together and rode at The Lot. Hector and Cristian traveled up from the Southwest CT area to come play in the dirt, it's always good to see them. Everyone was riding well, having a good time, and enjoying the brisk Fall air. Jake hucked the biggest backflip I've ever seen go down at The Lot...that boy ain't right! I was also pretty stoked on Arnwine manualing the whole roller line and berm and T starting to jump the rollers a little. We chilled around a camp fire and got some pizzas after the session, which is always a fun way to end the day.

Sunday Lot photos: CLICK HERE

Heaven Meeting

So a meeting of the minds took place yesterday afternoon at Heaven and lot of stuff was discussed. Basically, riders and skaters have been given the park and a skatepark needs to get built at Heaven or the place is gonna be torn down and buildings will be put up. The skaters and riders have to decided on exactly how the park is going to be laid out and where the funds are going to come from. It sounds like they'll be applying for some grants and going the fund raising route as well. For more info, check out Heaven in Hartford.

Ben McCarthy's artist rendering of the park. The feedback he got was too much tranny, not enough street.

Josh LaRosa Bike Check

Josh has been riding flatland on and off for as long as I can remember. After a 6 month hiatus Josh has been back on his bike a few times a week and getting back into the swing of things. Here is Josh's ride:

Frame: '05 Fly Simple
Fork: KHE Alloy 0 Degree Offset(brakeless)
Head Set: Fly Integrated
Stem: Bizhouse Dialayser
Bars: London Queen Vic 7"
Grips: Whatever Works
Seat Clamp: Flatland Fuel
Post: Macneil Pivitol
Seat: Macneil Pivitol
Cranks: Profile Magnitanium Arms with Custom Made Bitchin Bolts
Spindle: FSA Ti
BB: Demolition Spanish
Sprocket: tTree Spline Drive 20T
Chain: Some Thin POS
Pedals: Odyssey Twisted P/C
Hubs: (F) KHE, (R) KHE Geisha Freecoaster
Rims: Sun CR-18 Chinook
Spokes: Black, Radially Laced with Black Nipples
Tires: KHE Folding Kevlar 1.75
Pegs: Sequence Grip Tape

Tony Bike Check: Sept. 2010

I guess I spurred some interest in my bike now that I threw those old school 90's GT bars on. I received several messages this week asking what I ride...and that it is huge! Here is the latest bike check:

22" MacNeil Deuce Deuce
- Odyssey CS2 Race Forks
- 36 SNAFU Irish Stout Cassette Rear Wheel - Chrome Rim
- 11T One Piece Driver
- 36 SNAFU Irish Stout Front Wheel - Black Rim
- 2.2" MAXXIS Holl Roller Tires - Front & Rear
- 1993 GT Burly Bars - 9" Rise, 29" Width
- ODI Longneck Grips
- Aminal Plastic Bar Ends
- Fit D.L.T. Stem
- Colony Internal Headset
- Odyssey Monolever (Medium)
- Kink Linear Cable
- Odyssey EVO2 Brakes w/ Odyssey 1x4 Pads
- 180mm Primo Powerbite Cranks
- Fly Spanish BB
- Fly Ruben Pedals
- 28 Tooth Shadow Crow Spocket
- Shadow Chain
- Colony Pivotal Seat
- Primo Pivotal Seatpost

Weight: 25.2 lbs













Check back over the course of the coming weeks for bike checks of all the other guys. Next week, Josh LaRosa Bike Check. I guess this is also a good opportunity to thank good peeps out there for hooking it up! Thanks to Macisco at Tony's Bikes for the frame and fork and thanks to Jay Basti for the rad old school bars!

Old School Bling

Thanks to basement ramp legend, Jay Basti, I'm now rocking some OG 1993 GT Burly Bars, in chrome no less! These things are over 17 years old, they were manufactured before Tiny TYRANT was even born, and they are mint! The wild thing is everything comes full circle and big bars are back in style. These gems are 29" wide with a 9" rise and some slight up sweep. RAD in every sense. Thanks so much Jay!

1,000!

After 5 year of blogging I've hit 1,000 posts! Some of it's useful info, some of it's random babbling, it's all 100% fun! Thanks for checking out the blog folks.

No Bikes at Middlefield

It appears Middlefield has determined BMX should be banned from the park. This is what was determined:

"the size of and distance between park features is not adequate for bikes, given their greater size and speed. Therefore, the risk of collision between bikers and skaters is high. Moreover, BMX pegs will damage ordinary concrete and coping surfaces. With skateboards, the coping typically wears down the board's trucks, not the other way around."

Sounds like some bike hate BS pulled straight off the pages of Concrete Disciples to me! Anyone claiming skate trucks don't destroy concrete is just plain misinformed! After checking out the park I do agree that steel BMX pegs would kill that place, but what about PLEGS or letting in bikes with no pegs. Instead they'll uphold their ban, create a lot more tension in the skate and BMX community, and they're going to have bike vs. skater issues at the park on a regular basis. So lame in so many ways! Why can't we all just get along? The new Windsor Locks park allows bikes, Hartford is gonna allow bikes, Middletown is gonna allow bikes....what's the deal Middlefield???

Haven Halloween Jam

We'll be co-sponsoring the Halloween Jam at Haven on October 24th and kicking in some jackets and hoodies. Get on down there in costume and get rad!

Annual Sticker Order

It's been a year since I've ordered stickers, time for some newbies! The below stickers will be arriving in the next 7-10 days from 123 Stickers and I'll be dishing them out as soon as they arrive!

Southwick, Windsor Locks, and Howard's!

Yesterday was a pretty epic day. Steve and I rode the Southwick Trails for 3 hours, we hit up the new Windsor Locks park for a bit, we rode some nice banks with the Enfield Crew, and we hit up Ry Howard's house party till 1:30am. Gotta love Saturday's full of fun! The highlight of the day was a young kid and his WT mom at Southwick. The kid drops into the medium sized line like he knew what was up and attempted to roll the 3' first lip...which isn't rollable...it's a 4' gap! So the kid at sh1t hard, scorpion grind to the max! What's his mom do?...looks at me and says "his step daddy is a motocross champion...he wanna be like him" in the most WT Joe Dirt voice ever! I nearly peed my pants! You stay classy Southwick!

Saturday photos: CLICK HERE

Heaven Skatepark?

I received this e-mail today...

Skateboarding Task Force to hold public input session September 26 at 2:00pm at Heaven. The Hartford Skateboarding Task Force will hold a public input session on September 26 at 2:00pm for the future skatepark at New Ross, County Wexford Park-- “Heaven”. The goal of this session is to solicit input from local skaters, BMXers and others about what they would like to see at a formalized skatepark in Heaven. Task force members are mindful of the history of the space and it is very important to them that any addition to the park be made with the support of the local skaters and riders.

The Hartford Skateboarding Task Force was empanelled in winter 2009 by the Hartford Court of Common Council to explore the viability of a formal skatepark in the City. In April 2010, The Task Force recommended that a skatepark should be built at the City’s de facto skatepark, “Heaven”, New Ross, County Wexford Park atop I-84. The Council accepted these recommendations and since then the Task Force has been exploring funding opportunities as well as creating design recommendations. More information is available at http://heaveninhartford.org/.

FIND IT ON FACEBOOK! CLICK HERE

Middlefield Almost Done!

The Middlefield Skatepark appears to be almost complete, I'd say a few more weeks max! There are skate wheel marks and bike tire skids already on the cement, so somebody's been poaching it. The place looks rad as hell, can't wait to get over there and ride!

Middlefield Skatepark photos: CLICK HERE

Vertigo Closing!

So it appears Vertigo Skatepark is closing it's doors after 5 years of business. Just like Academy did in their dying days, Vertigo has been letting bikes in once a week for the past several months. Needless to say, it sucks to see a rider/skater owned park and shop close! Get on over to Vertigo one Wednesday night in the next 3 weeks and give it a rip before it's gone. There are some fun lines and a few rad wall rides.

RIP Interbike!

...well it's not dead, just being moved from Vegas to Anaheim next year! Really??? Anaheim! How do you go from cheap booze, gambling and strip clubs to Disneyland and the Mighty Ducks....so lame! Long live the real Interbike, the one that had nothing to do with bikes and everything to do with free swag, free beer, and raising hell in Vegas!

Lot All Day!

Rode The Lot for 6 hours yesterday, awesome! We had some new faces, a little rain to keep the dust down, some fire, some guns and lots of fun! Loving The Lot right now!!

Lot photos: CLICK HERE

Long Got Longer!

I stretched out the my bike even more today! I added 2 links to my Shadow chain to move my rear wheel back 1/2" in the drop out. On top of that I moved my bars forward 1/4" to give me a little more knee room. So big, so comfy!

9/11 Hamden Trails

Steve and I hit up the Hamden Trails today and rode for a few hours. The place was a total dust bowl, but it was still a good time. That place is absolutely amazing! I give so much props to that trail crew, epic jumps!

Hamden Trails photos: CLICK HERE

Lot: 9/9

A bunch of us got together and rode The Lot last night. It was pretty brisk out, awesome riding weather! The place was kinda dusty, but we made the best of it and had a good time. Looking forward to stopping by the Hamden Trails on Saturday for a little dirt action.

Lot photos: CLICK HERE

Krol Cam

Pete posted a quick video he filmed with his new Canon 5D Mark II last Thursday when we rode his backyard....so crisp! Man I need a 7D!!

122 on the Market

Know anybody doing some house hunting. 122 is officially on the market, spread the word!
CLICK HERE to view the house online

Jake Break

So all those 8 foot flairs at the Newi. park finally caught up with Jake, fortunately he is OK.

Southwick Trails & Krol's Backyard

Yesterday was an all around kick a$$ day! The weather was spot on...sunny and in the low 70s, we rode all day, and nobody got hurt. Schmidt, T, and I headed up to the Southwick Trails around noon and to our surprise the place was empty. A few little kids on Walmart bikes bombing around for a bit, but then the place cleared out. It was pretty dusty, but all the lines were ridable and we were having fun jumping for a solid 3 hours. A few guys showed up late in the session and were getting rad on the 4th and 5th jumps in the 6 pack line. Looking forward to getting back up there a lot this Fall!

After Southwick Schmidt had to head home, but T and I were still down for some more riding. A crew was meeting up at Krol's backyard to ride the pump track and do some digging on the jump line. We rode the pump track for a bit and then moved the kickers in place on the jump line to get things going. The new set-up at Pete's is very similar to his old one, but it's going to be a good time when it's done. On top of that, Pete got a new Canon 5D Mark II so lots of high def. video is going to be shot at his place in the near future. He was shooting some test clips last night and they were epic! So nice...5D's a bit much for me...but a 7D would be nice. Santa, can you make that happen?

Sunday photos: CLICK HERE

Middletown Skatepark Approved!

UPDATE: I had this info passed onto me from a reliable source:

"The skatepark will be roughly 2,000 sq. ft. Rampage is a Connecticut skatepark contractor with many years of experience in not only skateparks, but general construction as well. Rampage bid the project using a Who Skates design and if it is awarded Who Skates will be building the park."

It appears there will be a meeting between city folks, skaters, and riders in the near future to confirm things. Pedal Power is a part of the skatepark committee so the riders are being represented! The park is not going to be pre-fab, which is nice. From what I've seen on Who Skates site they make some rad sh1t...they're responsible for the new Windsor Park too! It may be small, but hopefully it's fun!!

It appears the Middletown Skatepark will be complete before the Winter and will be letting bikes in. The park looks pretty small and has a limited number of obstacles/ramps, but I guess beggars can't be choosers, at least the skaters and riders are getting something. CLICK HERE to read the article from the Press.

Photo courtesy of the Middletown Press

Belltown Skatepark Done!

I'm not going to re-write the whole article, it can be read on the park blog: CLICK HERE.

A Real Live HellTrack?

So I heard some rumors on a BMX forum that Red Bull was considering building a replica of HellTrack from the movie RAD. I don't know if it's true, where it would be built, etc. but that would be the wildest thing possibly ever. I'll keep my ear to the ground on this one!

Keeping it RAD at my house